Page 15 - FODO Strategy 2023

Even though Getting It Right First Time and similar initiatives
across the UK have tried to fix the problems, people continue to
experience permanent sight loss due to delays in care. Each case of
sight loss caused by a delay in accessing an eye health professional
should always be recorded as a serious incident, and the root cause
should then be designed out of systems.

In most cases, the key to tackling this will be expanding capacity
to provide more care close to home in primary eye care settings.
Doing so will also help reduce pressure on GPs and hospitals and
enable them to see more complex medical patients and prevent
cases of sight loss while ensuring all patients get timely and local
access to the care they need.

Primary eye care teams, using advanced technology, are ideally
placed to be the eye care ‘front door’, providing the right care in the
right place at the right time. They can offer new solutions to the
prevention of sight loss, hospital avoidance, and care delivery in all
communities, including those unable to leave home unaided.

This is why FODO will support:

• UK governments and all four • The use of technology and
health systems to expand innovation for the benefit
enhanced primary eye care of patients.
services to meet needs, • The sector to develop and train
prevent avoidable sight loss the future primary eye care
and reduce pressure on workforce, which will deliver a
hospitals and GPs.
broader range of clinical care.
• Members who wish to provide
enhanced models of eye
care where the NHS does not
commission such services.

The future of primary eye care – principles and priorities 15